VALDOSTA – The Lowndes County Jail and the Lowndes County 911 center will undergo construction additions and renovation projects following the county’s Board of Commissioners approval Tuesday evening.
Engineering Department Head Chad McLeod presented both projects to the board initially at Monday morning’s work session and again Tuesday evening.
He said the construction manager selection process for the Lowndes County Jail addition began in September 2023 when staff advertised the Request for Proposals (RFP).
The county received two proposals: one from Allstate Construction and Cauthan Construction, and another from Gideon Construction.
McLeod did not detail what the project will add to the current building but he recommended the board to approve Allstate Construction and Cauthan Construction based on the selection committee’s scores.
He later presented the Lowndes County 911 center project later in the meeting. The construction project will add a new storage building, renovate four offices and resurface the existing parking lot. It is an approved SPLOST VIII project.
The agenda item document showed the board received three bids from Chuck Smith & Son Construction, Inc in the amount of $192,780, Kellerman Construction in the amount of $217,863 and Slone Associates in the amount of $248,859.
McLeod recommended the lowest bidder Chuck Smith & Son Construction, Inc.
The board unanimously approved both action items at McLeod’s recommendation.
Other actions
County Manager Paige Dukes announced that John Crawford’s term on the Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority is set to expire at the first of 2024. She said Crawford has expressed a desire to be reappointed and that the action item is a joint appointment from both the county and the Valdosta City Council. The commissioners voted to reappoint Crawford without any other nominations.
The board approved the renewal of the county’s Code Red Service agreement as presented by Emergency Management Agency Department Head Ashley Tye. Code Red is a mass notification system to provide the residents of Lowndes County with emergency notifications. The cost of the renewal remains $31,500 as last year’s budgeted agreement.
The commissioners also approved an updated cross connection control plan and a grant application for the Solicitors-General’s Violence Against Women Act Grant.
Lowndes County Board of Commissioners final meeting for 2023 is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 5:30 p.m.